Paradise or Oblivion

105:41

This feature documentary tells the story of the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. In 1971 a brave group of young activists set sail from Vancouver in an old fishing boat. Their mission: to stop Nixon's atomic bomb tests in Amchitka, a tiny island off the west coast of Alaska. It was from these humble but courageous beginnings that the global organisation that we now know as Greenpeace was born. Chronicling the fascinating untold story behind the modern environmental movement and with access to dramatic footage that has not been seen for over 40 years, this gripping new film tells the story of eco-hero Robert Hunter and how he, alongside a group of like-minded and idealistic young friends in the '70s, would be instrumental in altering the way we now look at the world and our place within it. These campaigning pioneers captured their daring and sometimes jaw-dropping actions on a range of film cameras and Greenpeace granted acclaimed director Jerry Rothwell access to this vivid archive to make his thrilling, sometimes terrifying film. Greenpeace was born in 1971 when a ragtag group of journalists, hippies, and scientists living in Vancouver tried to stop a US atomic test. Fortunately, they were media savvy from the beginning, capturing their seat-of-their pants activist adventures on film. The youthful energy is palpable in action-packed scenes, including one in which activists confront a Russian whaling ship in a tiny Zodiac dingy. Soon, though, idealism comes up against reality, compromise, human nature, and the complexities of managing a growing organization. This insightful film is also a vibrant, moving reflection about the ongoing struggle to balance the political and the personal.

2015 • Environment

0:00

Discover how New York City – overwhelmed in 2012 by Superstorm Sandy – has learned from that disaster, and must defend itself against rising seas and the next big storm. With 520 miles of shoreline and no coastal protection, engineers and urban planners are tackling the problem with urgency and creative engineering.

S1E1 • Sinking Cities • 2018 • Environment

58:44

A look at what is being done to preserve the South Pacific and its wildlife.

S1E6 • South Pacific • Environment

41:58

Ocean currents control the climate around the world. When they suddenly stop, it unleashes an endless cascade of weather disasters including blizzards, superstorms, drought and rapid sea level rise.

S1E10 • Doomsday: 10 Ways the World Will End • 2016 • Environment

59:02

A look at how the eternal quest for water brings huge challenges and ingenious solutions.

S1E2 • Human Planet • Environment

44:36

"Eighty percent of us now live in an urban setting, and I think that the solution to our environmental problems is not to say 'we've got break down cities and get everybody back to the land' – that would be disastrous – but we have to make cities our major habitat…we have to make them more in balance, I think, with the rest of the things that keep us alive." David Suzuki Cities are where most Canadians live. And, as we head into the future, how we adapt to the needs of expanding cities will have a huge impact on their livability. Food, land use, housing, energy, waste – how we tackle these issues will determine whether our cities evolve, or whether they decline. In a new instalment of Suzuki Diaries, David and his daughter, Sarika, set out to discover whether some of Canada's biggest cities are ready for the challenges of the future.

S51E14 • The Nature of Things • 2012 • Environment